Mon 16th July: Random thoughts

Griffin has settled very quickly in his new home and already has his dog tag

It’s funny how the loss of one dog from a group changes the behaviour of the others, as each individual plays his or her part.  The first to go from my bedroom (and the fact that they all sleep there anyway was my mistake for letting them in babies) was Sophie, one of the leading characters.  The obvious difference for me was that I didn’t have a dog lying on top of me at night, but she and Griffin dominated the games and without her there was a big shift.  With Griffin going to his new home on Sunday, not only did I have another bed space freed up, but it meant there is now nobody to organise the evening’s entertainment, ie. bouncing on the bed, playing chase round the room and in general creating havoc.  I hadn’t realised how much Griffin’s sister, Opal, relied on him and she’s been a bit lost since he went.  Diamond has  suddenly become a young adult and behaves like one, rather than a mad doglet, and there is now really no leader.   The two Cheung Chau dogs, Margaret and Chungy, sleep like sentinels at the end of the bed and are very calm and well behaved, and last night was the first time in months that I wasn’t clinging to the side of the bed trying to claim a few inches of mattress.  I think I like it.

Kat Kuok is busy making these ads for every dog.

There are days when writing my blog is easy, when there are special things that have happened and dogs that have been adopted.  Today wasn’t one of those days, though there is never an occasion when I don’t have things to do and matters to deal with.  I made my Monday visit to AFCD as usual, and found there were only four puppies that were homeable, the only other two inmates being either wild (one of the Lamma dogs) or surrendered for having unmanageable behaviour.  With our current over-stocked situation I can’t take a dog like this, even though it goes without saying that any behaviour problems the dog has are because of the way it’s been treated, not because it was born that way.  As for the puppies, I can’t bring them home because they will get kennel cough, so I had to sort out foster homes first (done, thanks to Maria).

That left me without any dogs to take to Acorn, but as it happened it was just as well because Linda needed to go to the warehouse.  We met at Acorn anyway because I wanted to see a little peke that had been found on Sunday, abandoned on a beach on an incredibly hot day.  What a terrible thing to do to an old dog, and what luck that one of our adopters was walking her own two and found the little mite.   She turned out to have only one eye and suspected pyometra (infected uterus), and although in fact that wasn’t the case she has now been desexed and is recovering from her ordeal.

In my isolated world I find it impossible to understand why so many people who have dogs do what they do.  Like taking a defenceless little peke to a beach and leaving it there.  Was it planned or was it a spur of the moment decision? Or like the one year old border collie who, it turns out, has been kept in a cage since it was a puppy.  I don’t even like birds in cages, but a dog?  And a border collie?  I’m being inundated with surrender requests for all sorts of dogs, but the reasons never change.  Moving, leaving the country, having a baby, allergies or, like the little Yorkie just surrendered, having no time to take care of it.

Kendal was so sweet and easy when he went to his "Painting foster"

As a result of all of these cases, as well as the summer slump in homing activity, we really need fosters for the small dogs at Ap Lei Chau, especially the older ones who have been with us for some time, or those who can’t be let out to play with the others because they haven’t been socialised properly.  There’s Kendal, a Lakeland terrier who is very sweet and easy with people, but he’s not at all good with other dogs and that means he has to stay confined unless he’s being walked.  He needs a home, but until then if anyone can look after him on a temporary basis it would be lovely, not just for Kendal but also for us humans who hate to see him not having the life he deserves.   If you can help (and in Kendal’s case don’t have any other dogs at home) please let Maria know at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com.

At least the summer lull has given us more time to work on the September gala event, “Viva Paw Vegas” and there’s some very exciting news about that to be announced very shortly.  “Peak to Fong” follows in November (Sunday 25th), and we are already getting things moving for that now-traditional walk and street party.  This year will be sponsored again by Disney, so you know it’s going to be big and busy!  Mark the date in your diaries because we sold out well in advance last year.

Kat Kuok’s been very busy too, taking photos and making such great    poster ads for the dogs.  Hopefully this personal touch will help get more dogs into homes.  We love them anyway!

Cherry